Please explain: Genesis 9:20-25 (quoted here)?
I’ve decided to read the Bible out of curiosity. I’m quite confused with this passage. It comes right after Noah’s arch reaches land. He, his wife, his three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and Ham’s son Canaan are now living on the land again. This is a quote from my Bible:
“20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21 He drank the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a cloak and placed it over both of their shoulders, and walking backwards, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father naked. 24 When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said: Canaan will be cursed. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers.”
So basically, from what I get out of this, one of the first things Noah does after reaching land is grow some grapes, makes some wine, and gets so drunk that he strips himself in his tent and passes out. Then his son (Ham) accidentally finds him that way, tells his brothers, and they cover Noah with a cloak. When Noah wakes up and finds out what happened, he gets so mad at Ham that he decides to curse Ham’s son. So Noah is angry at Ham because Noah himself got blind drunk? So angry, in fact, that he cursed Ham’s son instead of Ham himself? And THIS is the only man God saw righteous enough to be saved from the flood? Out of all the people in the whole world? How do you explain this from a religious point of view???
I’m really sorry if I sound like I’m attacking the Bible, because that’s not my intention. I just want to know what I’m supposed to learn from this story and to hear your guys’ opinions on it.
Okay, thanks for that info. I get what you’re saying about Ham probably being an immature, disrespectful son. But what about Canaan being punished? It’s not his fault his father was like that. I can see how it would be a punishment for Ham to see his family line become slaves, but why not Ham himself?
The scholars say this is actually a kind of satirical polemic against the Caananites.
In the early Israelite Tribal Confederacy (before it was an actual kingdom) there was constant war (actual and of culture and religion) between the Israelites and the Caananites (there was a lot of intermingling mind). There was a huge struggle for identity as the Israelites were often mixing with the Caananites. The religious types wanted the Israelites to keep their identity, as if they lost it they would probably end up worshipping the Baals like the Caananites did.
The Caananites, and ‘philistines’ were known for cultivation of the vine. The Israelites were more your mountain sheep herders. For a long time, these two views were polarised. The heroic pure Israelites versus the debauched Caananites.
This story is mocking the wine makers for their drunkenness, saying that their culture is bogus, and saying that God will not like you if you become like that. If you, the people God chose (like Noah) become like the Caananites, God aint happy.
I’ve over simplified, but thats the general idea. Read ‘the living world of the old testament’ it has tonnes of stuff like this.
November 19 2008 08:07 pm | Genesis Drink
5 Responses to “Please explain: Genesis 9:20-25 (quoted here)?”
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Jeremiah P on 20 Nov 2008 at 1:25 am #
Ham’s actions were somehow a form of dishonoring his father
References :
derius537 on 20 Nov 2008 at 2:11 am #
Well first understand one thing. Righteous does not mean perfect.
In the context of the verses Ham did not just point out his father's nakedness. He did it in a mocking disrespectful manner. Making a joke out of his father's condition.
Had he behaved as his brothers had and quietly, respectfully covered his father and not made a spectacle of it then nothing would have happened.
What you are seeing here is what happens to a child who is disrespectful to his parents.
And I do not consider it attacking the bible to ask a legitimate question.
edit
To respond to your question regarding why curse Canaan I am going to quote something and put the link where the quote came from:
"Noah could hardly bring up the issue of Ham's transgression without indicting himself for his own drunkenness, as H.C. Leupold and Arthur C. Custance both note. But Noah has seen a weakness in Ham–Ham had taken sensual pleasure in seeing his father naked, and he was irreverent in boasting to his brothers. Noah perceived that the same weakness existed in his grandson Canaan–but probably to an even greater degree than was evident in Ham. This story seems to be a case of generational sin. A particular congenital moral weakness in a family may erupt in full measure in a later generation. History of course confirms that Canaan's offspring were indeed a grossly immoral lot."
I believe that is a good answer to your question. Keep in mind it is a man's opinion and we really won't know untill we see God.
The second link is also good and addresses the false claim that the curse of Canaan applied to his older brothers.
References :
http://ldolphin.org/canaan.html
http://www.rbc.org/questionsDetail.aspx?id=46128
Bobbinsu on 20 Nov 2008 at 2:42 am #
The scholars say this is actually a kind of satirical polemic against the Caananites.
In the early Israelite Tribal Confederacy (before it was an actual kingdom) there was constant war (actual and of culture and religion) between the Israelites and the Caananites (there was a lot of intermingling mind). There was a huge struggle for identity as the Israelites were often mixing with the Caananites. The religious types wanted the Israelites to keep their identity, as if they lost it they would probably end up worshipping the Baals like the Caananites did.
The Caananites, and ‘philistines’ were known for cultivation of the vine. The Israelites were more your mountain sheep herders. For a long time, these two views were polarised. The heroic pure Israelites versus the debauched Caananites.
This story is mocking the wine makers for their drunkenness, saying that their culture is bogus, and saying that God will not like you if you become like that. If you, the people God chose (like Noah) become like the Caananites, God aint happy.
I’ve over simplified, but thats the general idea. Read ‘the living world of the old testament’ it has tonnes of stuff like this.
References :
3 years of uni. My dissertation was about that period of time.
ManoGod on 20 Nov 2008 at 3:13 am #
Actually, there is a custom of the bible times that describes this. The nakedness of Noah was not that of Noah himself, but of his wife. It means that the one who ‘found Noah naked’ actually slept with his mother according to the custom. This was why Noah was so angry. Because, although there were no rules on Incest at the time, there was a rule on sleeping with another man’s wife - adultery.
References :
Trevor Alfred on 13 Jun 2009 at 12:44 pm #
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